Frequently Asked Questions About the Institute for Massage Education

Is IME right for me?

Institute for Massage Education is dedicated to providing individualized training for each student. Our staff are available to assist you when you need it. Every instructor is trained in helping students to be successful in the classroom. The program is set up so that upon completion you are one of the best trained therapists in the country.

How do I get started?

You have already taken the first step! Now sign-up to come to a Massage as a Profession Workshop the first Wednesday of each month (it’s FREE) or call Institute for Massage Education to set up a personal appointment with an admissions advisor at 269-373-0910. Fill out an online application to get a head start.

What are the steps to enrollment?

Here is our enrollment checklist. They don't have to be done in this order, so you can get started with almost any of them!

Submit a copy of your driver's license and high school (or higher education) diploma.

Will I be successful as a Licensed Massage Therapist?

Ninety-four percent of Institute for Massage Education graduates are working as Massage Therapists upon graduation! The Institute for Massage Education does everything it can to ensure your success. From the Student Success Workshop at the beginning of the program to Graduation day, each student is provided with the tools required to be a successful licensed massage therapist in this ever expanding field.

What’s it like to be a Licensed Massage Therapist?

A career in massage therapy can be one of the most satisfying professions in health care. The opportunity to assist others in their healing process is incredibly rewarding. As a massage therapist, you can choose your hours, what type of setting you work in and what types of clients you work with. It is a profession that can be customized to fit who you are. In a nutshell, being a massage therapist is whatever you make it to be!

How easy is it to get a job?

Ninety-four percent of Institute for Massage Education graduates are employed after graduation. You will be a member of a highly respected and sought out group. Employers repeatedly tell us that they will hire only Institute for Massage Education graduates.

Do I have time in my life to do this?

Institute for Massage Education offers a flexible schedule that can accomodate many different lifestyles. Courses are offered during the day, evenings and on the weekends. It's up to you to decide which classes will fit into your life. These scheduling options allow people with various schedules and responsibilities to achieve their goal of becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist.

When do classes begin?

Classes start every few months, alternating between a daytime schedule and evenings/weekends. Call today to find out which schedule is starting next.

How much does it cost?

As of August 1, 2017, our 625-hour program is $12,500. This includes four educational massage sessions required throughout the program and the lab fee for anatomy. Books, table and school logo polo shirt come to around $1,000 depending on the kind of table you choose. Financial questions can be answered by our admissions team, admissions@kcha.com or 269-373-0910.

I'm looking for a program that is six or at most nine months long. Why does it take soooo long to become a Massage Therapist at your school?

Good question. Why do we take 12 to 14 months for 625 hours of training when other schools take only six or nine?

The short answer is, because it works.

Becoming a Massage Therapist is a process that involves the information you need to know, to assess, and design treatment plans for your clients, technique mastery that will allow you to carryt out the specifics of that treatment plan, and the communication skills and inner sense of the situation to be able to educate your client so they understand and are able to benefit fully from the session.

This takes time.

It takes knowing who you are, where your boundaries are, what's your scope of practice, and having the ability to communicate all of this to your client.

IME has graduated over 700 massage therapists. One of the first three graduates was a woman in her late fifties/early sixties. She's currently in her eighties and is still practicing. She loves her work. We know what we're doing.

We want to support you in having the career you want for as long as you choose to practice.

Do you teach medical massage?

Medicalmassage is more of a marketing term than a defined modality. There is training for Hospital Based Massage and Oncology Massage, butmedicalmassage typically is referring to specific therapeutic techniques, and those are taught in most programs, including IME's program.

Have another question that we haven't answered? Start a conversation with us!